Top Law Schools

Top 10% at DCNG. Shot at Harvard and Yale?

yes

/thread

Both worth the app. H loves WE in transfers (it seems) and Y is, of course, a black box.

koalatriste,

Thanks for the answer. I was wondering if it would be worth it in my case.

I am currently on a $15,000 merit scholarship from my school, no need based aid. As H and Y tend to be generous with need based aid, I am thinking I would get at least $15,000 from H or Y based on family income. The only thing I am slightly concerned about is job prospects post transfer. Thoughts?

You aren't really gaining much by transferring. The prestige added by HYS is probably equated out by you likely being Summa cum laude and Order of the coif.

lawiscold wrote:koalatriste,

Thanks for the answer. I was wondering if it would be worth it in my case.

I am currently on a $15,000 merit scholarship from my school, no need based aid. As H and Y tend to be generous with need based aid, I am thinking I would get at least $15,000 from H or Y based on family income. The only thing I am slightly concerned about is job prospects post transfer. Thoughts?

I can't speak to the prospect of need-based aid, but I think that aid for transfers is something that is more appropriate to think about after you are admitted and is probably handled on a case-by-case basis. I'm really unsure, though.

As far as job prospects go, you're definitely not going to lose anything by transferring, but I'm not totally sure I agree with Aberzombie1892. Firstly, order of the coif and summa cum laude are two extremely different things and, at least at my current/former school, ten percent of the class graduates order of the coif and summa is extremely rare, and apparently some graduating classes do not have anyone who receives the honor.

Yet, I think the larger issue here is: is there any real difference to being at the quasi-top of DCNG and transferring to HYS? The answer: it depends. In terms of law firm placement, any effect of the transfer is probably moot. Perhaps the transfer would give you an opportunity to interview with an ultra-elite firm (i.e. Wachtell) that doesn't recruit at DCNG, but the likelihood of even getting a callback as a transfer is so slim that this shouldn't be a consideration. Conversely, perhaps the transfer would negatively impact your clerkship prospects by severing some relationships with professors and causing you to have to "start over" again at Harvard or Yale, but some legwork and tactfulness can likely mitigate this effect. The same analysis likely applies for academic placement, though I would say that there is something special about having HYS on your CV if you're looking at academia (cutting against that, though, would be an editorial position on the DCNG law review, etc.).

This topic has really been discussed quite a bit and there is no good, right, or wrong answer. I think the bottom line is, for me, if you have a reason to stay, then stay. If you have a reason to go, then go. If I was personally presented with this choice, I would choose to transfer because I am a giant prestige whore. I would also choose to go because maintaining a good class rank is hard work and I'd rather be CRUNK during 2L/3L in New Haven then sitting in a library in Durham.

Shot? Yes

Should you go? Well... do you like name dropping? I would go.

Of course you have a shot at being accepted as a transfer student at Harvard or Yale in your situation. And you may receive substantial financial aid grant money. Whether or not you should transfer is a bit of a premature question because you haven't been accepted yet. Apply & see what happens, then decide.

lawiscold wrote:koalatriste,

Thanks for the answer. I was wondering if it would be worth it in my case.

I am currently on a $15,000 merit scholarship from my school, no need based aid. As H and Y tend to be generous with need based aid, I am thinking I would get at least $15,000 from H or Y based on family income. The only thing I am slightly concerned about is job prospects post transfer. Thoughts?

the advice about waiting to see about this is good. it won't hurt to apply.

as far as the financial aid goes i can tell you that i know multiple transfers who got significant chunks of grant money at SLS. i can't comment on H or Y because i didn't get into either of them, but i personally didn't get any aid. i'm straight through though, and despite filing independently for the last 5 years or more they still considered my parents finances. it seemed like (from the few people here i actually asked about it) that most of the non-straight through people with multiple years of WE got not insignificant chunks of aid.